Abstract
In France, since 2009, the nursing training institutes (IFSI) have entered into the university reform, bringing many changes to the level of the activity of health executive trainers (CDSF): analysis of the activity, simulation, e-learning and development of transversal skills (organization, coordination, etc.). Since then, the CDSFs have experienced moments of crisis (for fear of losing their professional identity, of disappearing from the IFSIs, etc.) but also periods of development which allow them in particular to build new projects, to set up partnerships with academics; finally, to become more professional in order to adapt to the expectations of the reference system. This thesis aims to answer the following research question: how the implementation of universitarization in IFSI can be considered as a major evolution, a professional transition which questions the CDSF at the level of their activity but beyond, on plan of their professional identity? To do this, we have mobilized the concept of universitarization; we retain changes in the status of professionals, but also essential activities such as research. This universitarization leads the actors to experience a professional transition opening up to tensions but also to adapt by becoming more professional. Most often, individual or collective training has enabled them to develop skills relating to new information and communication technologies, research, simulation, reflexive devices, but also training on the characteristics of new generations of students. All these changes seem to lead to identity changes among CDSFs. We consider professional identity based on the “triple transaction” model (Perez-Roux, 2011). Beyond the double transaction (Dubar, 1991), the integrative transaction is particularly interested in the forms of cognitive balance necessary to cope with the changes experienced by professionals. Our comprehensive approach, guided by the psychosocial field, is based on semi-structured interviews. The interviews, lasting an average of 47 minutes, were subjected to a cross-thematic analysis. The population interviewed consisted of eight CDSFs and five directors of three different IFSIs. We note that university education is very present in the activities. Professionalization is obvious for these IFSI professionals with a significant commitment to mastering: acculturation, the learning of pedagogical skills, particularly digital ones, and the development of expertise in IFSI are the main reasons for this. The CDSFs as well as the directors must adapt, collaborate with the academics, which leads these different professionals to use identity strategies, but also to express their individuality to maintain a certain coherence within the IFSI. This has an impact on their activity and, beyond that, on their way of carrying out this function of CDSF. Faced with new practices, these professionals experience more or less important changes in their identity. These results lead us to question the supervision of training institutes, but also the strategic distribution of training centers on the territory. They also make it possible to envisage possible developments for the IFSIs but also the IFCSs, influenced by logics of universitarization and professionalization. We note that in a set of training courses addressed to others, these same logics are at work. Finally, the recognition of these training actors is at the heart of the professional transition: these professionals are in search of legitimacy and claim a professional identity that is both shared but also influenced by more personal logics.